Camping in Lost Kelp Forest
by Dreamer1920
Summary: A little story of SpongeBob and the gang going on a camping trip. How will things go? Will they have fun? Or will things take a bit of an unexpected turn? You'll have to read to find out.
1. Chapter 1: A boring day

**Hello! Here's another story for ya. The concept for this story was not created by me, but by my wonderful and super talented friend, America's Got Fandom. We were playing around and she wondered, "What would it be like if the whole SpongeBob gang went camping?" So, I've taken pieces of dialogue that she and I came up with, tweaked them a bit, and the result is this story. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own SpongeBob SquarePants or any of its characters.**

* * *

**Camping in Lost Kelp** **Forest**

_~French Narrator~_

"Ah, just a lazy, Friday afternoon, nothing too special. Well, lazy for everybody except SpongeBob; there is _never_ a dull moment with him. Let us see what this day has in store for the sponge and his friends."

It was quite slow at the Krusty Krab for a Friday. The usually lively fast food eating establishment was rather dull on this weekend starter. The atmosphere was calm, quiet and peaceful. Yet, it was also uninspiring, especially for the spunky teen daughter of Mr. Eugene Krabs.

Pearl sat at a table, large head resting on her crossed flippers. "Ugh, it's so boring! There's literally no life in this hunk of junk place," she complained.

Squidward, who was actually enjoying the quiet time, spoke up. "I know, isn't it fantastic?" he sighed, placing his tentacles behind his head and leaning back in his station.

"**Fantastic?** Psh, sure. If you're an old fuddy-duddy like my dad," she said.

"Oh, you don't know how precious the quiet and boring days are until they're ruined by your obnoxious neighbor. And so far," he explained, "I haven't heard a single peep out of that annoying, reckless, ear-shattering nuisance of a fry cook. Ah, it just couldn't get any better than this- "

"ORDER UP!" the sponge swung the kitchen door open, banging it against the wall. The sharp, loud tone of his squeaky voice combined with the vibration of the door nearly gave Squidward a heart attack. He shrieked and fell over in his boat.

"Did anybody order the kelp fries?" asked SpongeBob, raising his voice at the dead dining area.

Squidward fumed in fiery rage at his neighbors' obnoxiousness. "NO, you buffoon! There's nobody _in here!_"

SpongeBob, keeping in good spirit, wagged his finger in front of his coworker. "Oh, you're wrong, Squidward. There's you, me, Pearl, Mr. Krabs, and- " his eyes scanned the room to see that not a single customer was in sight.

The well-meaning sponge scratched the top of his head. "Huh, I guess not." He looked down at the meal he held in his hands. "Hey, you hungry, Pearl?"

She shook her head. "No. Even if I was, I can't eat those. I'm on a diet, remember?"

"Ohh, that's right. You're eating the really good stuff," he smiled.

Pearl scoffed. "Pft, if you call boiled clam shells and seaweed pasta 'good stuff', then sure."

Just then, the restaurant's competitor, Sheldon J. Plankton, casually made his way through the large glass doors. "Hey, what's goin' on in here? Oh, that's right, **nothing**. Hehehe," he laughed in his usual maniacal way.

"Plankton, you get back here this instant and help me vacuum up the dead urchins under the stove!" demanded his computer wife, rolling her way through the doors only moments after her tiny husband had entered.

"Aw, come on, Karen. You know I can't get near that vacuum without getting sucked up into it."

"I know," she casually admitted.

"Arg arg arg arg arg! Looks like your wife's tryin' to get rid of ya again, but the vacuum ain't good enough. She needs a pest elimination specialist," said Mr. Krabs as he scuttled his way out of his office.

Plankton rolled his only eye at his giant nemesis. "Very funny, Krabs. But not the least bit clever."

"Just what in the barnacles are ye doin' here anyways, Plankton? If it's your latest lame attempt at stealin' me formula, forget it. I put it in a new hiding place; a place you'd never think to look." Mr. Krabs smiled with satisfaction as he placed his claws behind his back.

"Yeah, great idea hiding it in the septic tank, Mr. K! He'd **never** think to look in there," said SpongeBob. Gee, it seemed this day was one of SpongeBob's days where he thought and acted more like his best friend Patrick.

Mr. Krabs slapped his claw against his eyes in frustration with his employee.

"Heh, heh! Way to go, SpongeBoob. But I actually didn't come here to steal the formula today," Plankton explained.

Mr. Krabs peered down at him questioningly. "Then what **are** ye doin' here?"

Plankton shrugged, looking bored. "I just like to see my worst enemy get robbed of his precious cash on a boring day." A small smile crept up onto his face.

Mr. Krabs stared blankly. "Can't say I'm surprised."

Just then, Patrick entered the building, wearing his usual, clueless expression.

SpongeBob waved to him. "Hey, Patrick! What brings you here?"

Patrick shrugged. "Oh, you know, boredom." He looked around at all the empty seats and lack of people.

"Looks like the Krusty Krab is bored, too," he said.

"And it looks like Squidward has had his fill of buffoonery today," said Squidward in a sarcastic tone.

"Uh, Squidward, why are you talking in the third person?" asked SpongeBob.

"Yeah, what kind of weirdo does that?" asked Patrick.

"Oh, I. Give. Up." Squidward threw his tentacles in the air.

"Plankton, **the stove**," said Karen, her tone of voice similar to that of an annoying, nagging mother.

"Alright, alright! Sheesh. Just let me relax and unwind a bit," said Plankton, resting his back against Karen's wheels.

"You've been relaxing **all** day," she said, losing her patience.

"And **you've** been _annoying _me all day, but ya don't hear me complaining." He placed his hands behind his head and smiled.

Karen rolled her green, pixilated eyes at her frustrating spouse. For someone so small, he _sure was_ a big handful.

"Oh, you're all so weird! I'm gonna go hang out at the mall," said Pearl, getting up from her seat. But before she could exit, her cheapskate father stretched his claw as far as he could and gripped her shoulder.

"Uh-uh, you ain't goin' anywhere today, darlin'. Not as long as I ain't gettin' me customers."

"But daddy, that's not fair!" she argued.

"No customers, no money. No money, no mall. Now do ye understand?" he smiled as if nothing was wrong.

"Oh, fine. I guess I'll just have to stay here and do **nothing** all day," Pearl felt frustrated and disappointed. She crossed her flippers over her chest.

SpongeBob, being the kind, supportive friend that he was, approached her. "Aw, cheer up, Pearl. It isn't so bad. Why, there are lots of things to do around here that are fun," he said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Oh yeah? Like what?" she asked, skeptical.

SpongeBob thought hard. "Well, there's… " he looked over at Squidward, who wore his 'I couldn't care less' expression. Nope, no answers out of him.

SpongeBob continued to think. "You could… " he then glanced at Patrick, who was sitting at a table, drooling.

"T-there's always…" he saw Plankton and Mr. Krabs glaring and gritting their teeth at each other.

"…Hm, I guess… There really _isn't_ much to do today." SpongeBob felt defeated, which was very unlike him.

"See? Even **SpongeBob** knows how boring it is!" exclaimed Pearl.

"Oh, my. What a tragedy." Squidward was just as dull and sarcastic as ever.

"Well, when you have a failing business, everything else starts to fall by the wayside. Maybe people just aren't interested in Krabby Patties anymore… Maybe someone should get the secret formula and take over the wor- I mean, keep it safe until further notice… " said Plankton, glancing nonchalantly at his nemesis.

"Nice try, Plankton." Mr. Krabs cocked a brow at him.

"Well, I tried."

"And failed. Again," said Karen, annoying her husband.

"Don't worry, guys. Things will get brighter soon, you'll see," said SpongeBob, trying his best to make everyone feel better, just like he always did.

Squidward scoffed. "Heh, sure. Who knows? Maybe you'll fall into a deep, dark hole and never be seen again. Ah, what a blissful day that would be."

"That's the spirit, Squidward!" SpongeBob cheered. Squidward rolled his eyes at the cluelessness of his neighbor.

Oh, what were a bunch of sea creatures to do on such a lifeless summer day?

"Afternoon, folks!" a familiar Texan voice sounded.

SpongeBob's ears, (or whatever it was that he had), perked up at the sound of her voice.

"Sandy!" he greeted, turning around to look at her with a big smile.

"Howdy, SpongeBob! What are y'all up to today?" she asked the room.

"Losin' money."

"**Not** having fun at the mall."

"Regretting my life decisions."

"I'm hungry."

"Planning to annihilate each and every one of you."

Everyone in the room turned and stared at Plankton.

"…What? You should all be used to the idea by now."

"Any-who," Sandy started, noticing how dead the place was. "Golly, this place looks like it was hit by a ghost,"

"Ghost? Where?! HIDE ME!" said Patrick, jumping underneath a table and trembling.

"No, Patrick. She just means it's dead in here," SpongeBob explained.

"That's even worse!" said Patrick.

"How come no one has come here to eat today?" asked Sandy.

Mr. Krabs scuttled his way over with a sigh. "I ain't sure. All I know is I'm losin' money! So… much… money… " he felt a dizzy spell hit him at the thought.

Sandy, realizing how bored everyone was, looked down at her watch. "Well, it'll be closin' time in a few hours, there's no point in lookin' out for any customers. So, I have a suggestion."

"Whatever it is, it better make my life less miserable," Squidward said depressingly.

Sandy was a bit weirded out by his mood. Then again, this was Squidward.

"Well, there ain't no guarantee it'll solve all your problems, but it should give you people somethin' to do," she said.

"What is it, Sandy?" asked SpongeBob.

The smart scientist went on to explain how she was packed and ready to head out on her yearly summer camping trip to _Lost Kelp Forest, _a forest that was miles and miles long and deep, with lots of wildlife, trees, and even a volcano nearby.

"Are you suggesting we go camping with you?" asked Squidward, cocking a brow at the squirrel.

"Sure! It'll be fun. We can hang out by a campfire, tell scary stories, do some star-gazin', sounds amazing, don't it?" she asked, looking around at everyone hopefully.

"Will we be bringing food?" asked Patrick. Of course, that was all he could think about.

Sandy smiled. "Nope. Ya just eat whatever nature has to offer."

Patrick crossed his arms over his chest like a child. "Then forget it."

"Oh, come on, Patrick! It could be fun. Besides, you're bored, remember?" asked SpongeBob, smiling goofily at his friend.

Patrick showed his baby tooth smile. "Oh, yeah," he chuckled.

Sandy placed her hands on her hips and smiled. "So, what do ya say then?"

Mr. Krabs rubbed the back of his shell. "Well, I suppose there ain't no point in hangin' around in an empty restaurant. What do ye say, daughter Pearl?"

His whale offspring shrugged. "I mean, I guess. But we'd better bring lots of bug repellant; I just washed my hair!"

Mr. Krabs smiled. "What about you, Mr. Squidward?"

Squidward stared blankly. "Just keep me away from tweedle dumb and tweedle extra dumb, and things should go smoothly."

SpongeBob was excited. "Yay! What about you, Plankton? Do you and Karen want to join in on the fun- "

Mr. Krabs pinched his employees' lips with his sharp claw. Ouch! "SpongeBob, what are ye tryin' to do? Make me lose my sanity with that bacteria?"

"I heard that," said Plankton, who was not amused.

"Oh, give it a chance, Mr. Krabs. After all, if Plankton comes along, he won't be able to steal the formula," SpongeBob smiled reassuringly.

"That's what _you_ think, but I have my ways," said Plankton, rubbing his hands together evilly.

Mr. Krabs could feel the anger rising inside of him. "And I have _my own_ ways of disinfectin' germs," he glared, catching Plankton off guard.

"Alright, alright. I'll behave. What do you think, honeybunch?" he looked up at his wife for an answer.

"It sounds like a nice idea, but what if we lose each other?" asked Karen.

Sandy waved her off. "Aw, don't worry, Karen. As long as we make an effort to stick together, no one will get lost."

"Too bad," Squidward said under his breath. Too bad indeed. He was hoping maybe his yellow neighbor would get lost… Literally. Forever.

"Well, I think it's safe to say we're all in, darlin'," Mr. Krabs said with a smile.

"Yee-haw! This has got me all riled up!" Sandy exclaimed, making an enthusiastic gesture with her arm.

Her demeanor made SpongeBob feel all tingly inside; he just loved it when she got all excited!

Patrick noticed something was off. "Hey, SpongeBob, you've got something in your eye,"

"I do?" he asked dreamily. He then turned around towards a window and saw the reflection of his pupils. They had become pink and heart-shaped.

SpongeBob shrieked and nervously rubbed his eyes. "S-sounds like a plan, Sandy. I'll go home and help Gary pack!" he ran for the exit.

Sandy turned and looked at all of them. "What's the matter with him?"

"Everything," said Squidward.


	2. Chapter 2: The trip

**Disclaimer: I do not own SpongeBob SquarePants or any of its characters.**

**Camping in Lost Kelp Forest**

The group took some time to pack things up for themselves: Mr. Krabs packed his money (of course), SpongeBob and Patrick packed some Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy comic books, Plankton didn't like the idea of eating 'nature food', so he had Karen sneak a few cans of Chum, Pearl packed bug repellant and lip gloss, Squidward packed his precious clarinet and earplugs so that he could ignore the two dimwits, Gary packed, or rather dragged, a mini motorhome to sleep in, everybody seemed to have everything they _thought_ they needed. After all, who needs money in the woods?

So, the group took off on the long road to the forest. All sitting in Mr. Krabs beaten up boat, they struggled to breathe because of how squished they were in the backseat. Sheesh, the old crustacean couldn't bother to just _rent _a bigger boat.

"How is everyone doin' back there?" asked Mr. Krabs, looking in his rear-view mirror.

Squidward was irritated, as usual, and squished between Pearl and Patrick. "Ugh, how do you _think_ we're doing?!"

Mr. Krabs shrugged. "Just askin'. Besides, I asked how _everyone_ was doin'; that wasn't includin' your sorry behind. Arg arg arg arg arg!"

Squidward rolled his eyes. Oh, what a **painful** few days this was going to be.

"How are ye holdin' up, boy-O?" he looked over to the passenger seat at his trusty employee, who was squished next to Sandy in the same seat.

SpongeBob smiled nervously. "Oh, I'm just fine, Mr. Krabs." His tone of voice was weak.

"You sure? You don't **feel** too fine," said Sandy.

"What do you mean?"

"I can feel your heart beatin' faster than a jackrabbit at a football game!"

Oh, no. This was awkward. SpongeBob faked a smile as he poured sweat. "Really? Ah haha, didn't notice." He was completely out of breath as he gulped.

"I'm hungry," said Patrick.

"You ate before we left!" said Squidward, annoyed.

"Well, I'm sorry we're not all scrawny little doo-doo heads like you!" said Patrick, raising his voice.

Karen managed to fit by shrinking down and going into calculator mode. And as for Plankton, he sat on top of Gary's shell on the floor of the boat.

"…So…" said Plankton, feeling unusually awkward.

"Meow (So, steal any formulas lately?)

"Don't get him started!" warned Mr. Krabs.

* * *

_~French Narrator~ _

"Two hours later."

After the long and _very_ irritating boat ride, the group finally made it to Lost Kelp Forest. The forest was a sight to behold; it was vast, covered in dark, thick, green kelp and teeming with all kinds of life. It was dark, it was mysterious, it was… Breathtakingly beautiful. They also caught sight of the massive volcano that Sandy had mentioned as well.

"Wow look at this place! It's so dark and creepy," said SpongeBob, filled with wonder and fascination.

"Yes, siree. That's one of the many reasons I do my campin' out here every year," said Sandy.

"There's no shell service!" Pearl complained. Oh, brother.

"Why did you even _bring_ your shell phone with you? You knew we were going to be out in the wilderness," Squidward pointed out.

Pearl couldn't take how much old people didn't understand. So, she saw it as her opportunity to fire back. "And why did _you_ bring your clarinet? It's not like anyone wanted to hear you play."

"Ahahaha! Squidward's bad! Ahaha!" laughed Patrick, cluelessly.

Squidward fumed in anger and frustration. Oh, why must he be stuck out here with these uneducated buffoons?! He already had SpongeBob to deal with on a daily basis. And _he_ was a big enough challenge as it was.

"So, Miss Sandy, where do you usually camp out?" asked Mr. Krabs.

"Oh, you're headed in the right direction. It should only be about two more miles," she replied.

Mr. Krabs broke into a worrisome sweat. "T-t-**two** miles? Hehe, that far, huh?"

"Yes… Is that a problem?" she asked, confused.

"Well, no; not really. The boat should be out of gas by then."

"WHAT?!" everyone shouted in unison.

"You mean we're gonna get **stuck** out here?!" said Karen in her calculator form.

"I thought you filled this thing up with enough gas?!" Squidward was livid.

"I did!" Mr. Krabs defended himself. "…Problem is I forgot about the gas _leak_…"

Everybody groaned.

A little while afterward, they had found their destination. The camping area was large and circular, the kelp seemed to be of endless height, and the sun was beginning to set, causing the forest to darken even more. Everyone had gotten out of the boat and was setting up their areas of rest.

SpongeBob stood by a log and was struggling to put his and Patrick's tent together. "Does anyone know how to set this thing up?!"

Meanwhile, Gary had removed his mini motorhome from the back of the boat. "Meow (Speak for yourself, some of us have moved on to the 21st century.)"

And Patrick seemed to be pretty busy too; dragging a large rock and pulling it over himself. "Home sweet home!" he said.

SpongeBob then shifted his gaze over to Mr. Krabs, who was too busy making goo-goo eyes at his wad of cash. Nothing new there.

Pearl was too busy trying to get bars on her shell phone, Plankton was busy trying to get Karen out of calculator mode, and as for Squidward… Well, he was busy getting his behind stung by bugs.

"GET 'EM OFF ME!" he thrashed wildly, running around in circles.

SpongeBob pursed his lips to the side. "Alrighty then." It seemed no one was free to help him… Except…

"Hey, little buddy. Need a hand?" asked Sandy.

SpongeBob blushed, unable to hide his forming smile. "Haha, sure. I guess it's a little difficult for someone like me to pitch a tent,"

Sandy smiled warmly at him as she helped pick up the pieces. "Eh, that's only if you're not experienced. But don't worry, Spongy, you get used to it after while." She playfully smacked him on the back and walked away.

SpongeBob was dumbfounded by her decision to touch him. "She called me Spongy!" he squealed.

After Plankton had finally gotten Karen back to her normal self, he decided to pay Krabs a little visit. He approached the crustacean, who already had his tent set up.

"Say, Krabs, you do know you can't _spend_ any of that money while we're out here, right?" he smirked.

Mr. Krabs looked down at him while he sat at his mini table. "Who said anything about spendin' it? I wanted me sweetie to have a weekend away from that dusty old cash register," he beamed at the wad of cash between his claw.

"Gee, it must be nice being married to recycled paper. Hehehe!" Plankton laughed.

Mr. Krabs was not amused in the slightest. "And it must be nice bein' married to an old-school contraption from back in the early days of technology."

"Hey! Just who are you calling old?!" Karen flared.

"Just ignore him, honeybunch…" Plankton glared up at him. "Just ignore him."

Meanwhile, after Sandy and SpongeBob had finished pitching the tent, Patrick came up to him. "Wow is this where we're gonna sleep?" he asked.

SpongeBob smiled. "Yep! It sure is, buddy." He noticed the astonished look on his pink friend's face.

"Something the matter, Patrick?"

"I've never seen such a beautiful thing before!"

SpongeBob sighed, looking over at Sandy in the distance. "Yeah… Neither have I."

"I was talkin' about the tent. Why are you looking over there?" Patrick questioned.

SpongeBob's cheeks turned bright red. "Uh, nothing! T-There's nothing there, uh… I'm gonna go see what Gary's up to."

Patrick scratched the top of his head in confusion. "Sponges are weird," he remarked.

_Later that evening…_

The sky was dark, and the moon was out. The water was filled with mystery at every turn; little sounds, little 'woos' and 'peeps' could be heard everywhere around them. The gang hung around a huge campfire that, of course, Sandy had set up herself.

They all - except for SpongeBob and Patrick, who were out exploring - sat in a large circle while Sandy told scary stories.

"And then, as the sky got blacker, the water got colder…" her tone of voice was menacing. "And as things got even creepier by the ding-dang second, there it was…"

"There was what?" asked Pearl, trembling with fear.

Sandy hesitated for a moment. "There… Was… THE BIGGEST SPIDER YOU EVER DID SEE!"

"AHHHHH!" Squidward screamed, thinking he was still covered in bugs. He fell off the log he was sitting on. Sandy chuckled at the sight.

Mr. Krabs was not impressed. "Pft, ye call **that** a scary story? I got way better ones," he said, sure of himself.

Sandy smirked, cocking a brow at the crustacean. "Oh? Why don't ya share one, then?"

"Okay, I will." Mr. Krabs was prepared to prove the know-it-all squirrel wrong. "it was a dark and stormy night. I was out on me little measly wooden boat when suddenly, OUT OF THE BLUE- "

"A clam came and stole your jar of gold doubloons. Yes, we know, **we've heard this before**." Plankton rolled his eye.

Mr. Krabs growled. "Oooh, Plankton, I ought to- "

Just then, SpongeBob and Patrick came running out of the forest to the camp, screaming at the top of their lungs.

Sandy stood up. "Whoa, whoa! What happened?"

The two attempted to form words as they talked over each other and pointed in all different directions.

"QUIT IT! I can't understand anything y'all are sayin'!" Sandy was frustrated.

The two momentarily shut their mouths and glanced at each other. "WE SAW A SEA BEAR!" they shouted simultaneously.

Squidward rolled his eyes. "Puh-lease, don't be ridiculous." The octopus then remembered that time, years ago, when he had been so viciously attacked by a sea bear.

"Never mind, PROTECT ME!" he cried, jumping onto Sandy's back.

Sandy pried him off her. "Y'all wouldn't survive a minute outside without me, would ya?"

SpongeBob scoffed at the idea. "Not true! Last week, I walked outside, saw a sea lion, and waited a whole **second** before screaming in fear and running back inside."

Gary, who was sitting in front of the fire reading a magazine, knew the actual truth. "Meow (He's lying. It was a sea **kitten**, first of all, and you fainted from fear.)"

SpongeBob placed his hands on his hips. "Gary, we need to have a serious discussion about your wing-snail skills."

"His wing **what**?" Sandy questioned.

SpongeBob bit his lip. "Nothing."

"Well, if y'all are so scared of a little ole sea bear, then sit with the group and relax. We'll all be safe here together," she smiled.

"Heh, you mean we'll all be _cramped_ here together. I hate it out here; it's so cold and miserable," Squidward complained, placing his elbows on his knees and leaning forward.

Patrick took a seat next to the depressed octopus. "Yeah, kinda like you, Squidward!" everybody widened their eyes. Jeez, didn't Patrick know what he had gotten himself into by saying that?

"OOOHHH, PATRICK…" Squidward warned through gritted teeth.

Gary saw the 'action' that was unfolding. "Meow (Oh, boy, it's about to go down.)"

Everyone covered their eyes as they could hear the sounds of Patrick's screaming and Squidward's cursing, along with the occasional "OOH!" and "OW!" as well as a few punching noises.

A little while later, after Sandy had bandaged up Patrick's wounds that were created by Squidward's wrath, the group all sat back down together and stared up at the gorgeous night sky.

Patrick's stomach made a loud, growling noise. "I'm hungry," he said.

"Patrick, that's the third time you've said that today," said an annoyed Pearl.

"I can't help it! There's nothin' to eat around here anyway," he crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.

"Oh, yes there is. Karen, time to break out the chum," said Plankton, his tone of voice showing off his excitement.

Mr. Krabs scoffed. "Yuck. I'd rather be put out of me misery."

Plankton shrugged. "Suit yourself, Krabsy."

After Karen quickly cooked up a pot of the dreadful fast food item Plankton had created, she passed it around to everybody.

SpongeBob shook his head, staying loyal to the Krabby Patty. "Uh, no thanks, Mrs. Plankton. I'm not very hungry."

"Aw, come on, SpongeBob. You're still a growing young man. Why don't ya give it a try?" said Karen, purposefully trying to make it sound tempting to his senses.

SpongeBob nearly gagged from the rancid smell. He pinched his nose. "Nope, I'd rather not grow anymore, thank you." His voice sounded nasal.

Patrick, of course, was practically a garbage disposal, so he happily scarfed down his share.

Everybody else, except for SpongeBob, Mr. Krabs, and Sandy, all reluctantly ate their share.

Plankton sat on a log, wrapped in a tiny blanket, holding his tiny bowl of grub. "Karen, my chum is a little plain-tasting. Could you salt it for me?"

His computer wife sighed. "Yes, Your Majesty." She pulled out a saltshaker from one of her compartments and did as he asked.

"Thank you, honeybunch." No more than a few seconds later, the little pest spoke up again. "Karen, my chum is cold. Could you warm it up for me?"

Karen rolled her pixilated eyes. "You've got arms and legs of your own, ya know."

Plankton was shocked by her behavior. "Karen, I can't believe you would say such a thing. Have you forgotten how small and fragile I am? I could get burned!" he said, trying to make her feel guilty.

"Wouldn't be the first time," she said.

Plankton had about had it with her attitude and disobedience. "Oh, come on! Just get over here and do what you were **programmed** to do!" everyone was silent; all waiting for Karen's move.

Karen began to see red. She rolled her way towards him and hovered over him. "Anything you say, dear."

"AHHHHHHHH!" the water was filled with the sound of Plankton's blood-curdling scream as Karen scorched him with a blowtorch.

After she ended her fury, Plankton was left blackened and as crisp as a burnt Krabby Patty. "There, is that better?" she asked, speaking to him in a baby voice.

"There's a **fire** right in front of me, ya know!" he shouted.

Karen smirked; her voice filled with sarcasm. "I know, but what fun would _that_ be if I heated it up that way?"

Sandy was annoyed at Plankton for sneaking food after she specifically said that they were to eat whatever nature had to offer. She stood up from her log. "You deserve it for sneakin' that junk food out here, Plankton. In the wilderness, we eat what nature provides! If it didn't come from a stream, a tree, a bush, or the ground, then ya can't eat it!"

Patrick hated such an idea. "She's gonna kill us!" he said.

Sandy turned to face him. "Wrong! You're gonna kill yourselves with that kind of junk food!"

Plankton was insulted by her remark. Chum? **Junk** food?! Please! "Oh, sure. Let's all listen to little miss 'dictatorship'," he spat, his tiny arms crossed over his chest.

Sandy glared at him; her chocolate eyes filled with rage. This caused Plankton to take down his ego about 20 notches.

Patrick scoffed, raising his voice. "Oh, please! Nobody wants your dumb 'nature' food anyway!" Apparently, Patrick hadn't learned anything from the time he had called Texas "dumb".

Sandy gritted her teeth and stared him down. "You want me to reopen those cuts, Pat?"

Patrick gulped, his pointy-head drooping from his fear. "No, ma'am. Hehe, Patrick likes nature food, see?" he scooped up a chunk of dirt from the ground and stuffed it in his mouth.

Sandy sighed. "Anybody else got anything to say?"

The next thing she noticed was Squidward chowing down on his bowl of Chum. He looked up at her and noticed the strange look she was giving him.

"…What?" he questioned; his mouth filled with chum.

Sandy took it upon herself to rid the group of their luxury by snatching all the food, including Squidward's share and threw it as hard as she could. They watched as the Chum flew from the camp all the way into the volcano, which was miles away from them.

She turned back towards them. "Anyone who wants to go get it is more than welcome to."

Her rage and aggressiveness made SpongeBob's heart flutter and his eyes turn to hearts once again. Neptune, what a woman!

Patrick noticed his friend staring at the squirrel again. "Uh, SpongeBob? You okay? You're doin' that thing again."

Gary slithered his way over to them. "Meow (It's called the 'lovestruck spongy blues'.)"

SpongeBob snapped himself out of his trance. "Gary!" he was mortified.

Patrick cocked a brow at the snail and placed his hand under his chin questioningly. "Wouldn't it actually be called the 'lovestruck spongy **y****ellows**'? He's not blue, ya know.

"PATRICK!" SpongeBob glared at him.

"UGH, I want to go home!" cried Pearl.

Her father placed a reassuring claw on her shoulder. "Don't worry, darlin'. Soon, you'll be back at the Krusty Krab, helpin' me count me money!" he smiled.

"WAHHH!" she burst into tears.

"Oh, you're all just a bunch of big babies and lunatics! And that's _including _certain yellow freaks," said Squidward, standing up and giving SpongeBob an angry glare, which made his eyes water and left him wondering what he did wrong.

"Oh, right. And **you're** not an insignificant boob who can't play the clarinet to save his pathetic life!" said Plankton.

Squidward bent down to his level. "I taught Patrick a lesson; I can teach you one, too!" he threatened.

"ENOUGH! Golly-gee, this was just a big dang mistake bringin' all you crazies out here! This was supposed to be fun, and y'all are makin' it out to be a freak show!" said Sandy, fed up and frustrated.

"May I remind you that this was **your** idea, Miss Cheeks. We could've done something much better with our time." Mr. Krabs held his chin up high, thinking he was right.

"Oh, right, like going back to your failing restaurant?" Plankton spat.

Mr. Krabs growled once again and rolled up his sleeves. "That's it! I've had about enough of your- "

_**BOOM!**_

The blaring, explosive sound echoed throughout the forest, catching everyone's attention and silencing them all.

"W-what was that?" SpongeBob questioned, hiding behind Sandy.

"Yeah, sounded like me when I'm on the toilet…" said Patrick.

"Nobody needed to know that, you buffoon!" Squidward clenched his tentacles.

"Quiet!" Sandy commanded.

_**Boom, boom, BOOM!**_

The gigantic, menacing volcano had erupted.


	3. Chapter 3: Stick together

**Disclaimer: I do not own SpongeBob SquarePants or any of its characters.**

**Camping in Lost Kelp Forest**

"That doesn't sound too good…" said Mr. Krabs.

"That's 'cause it ain't. Look!" Sandy pointed up towards the volcano that was spewing its destructive concoction.

The group was in awe at the sight before them: the massive, bubbling mountain of doom had erupted in fiery fury; shooting out humongous bursts of scalding hot lava and puffs of grey smoke. The ground shook with force, almost knocking the creatures to the ground. The scallops fled from their nests. Every creature, big and small, ran to save their own lives from the destruction that was coming upon them.

The gang of Bikini Bottomites had never seen anything so terrifying and unbelievably menacing before. It was so sudden, so unexpected. This was not the time to be bickering and hurling cruel insults at each other. It was the time to stick together as a group; a group of people who had known each other for so many years, always having each other's backs. Well, _almost_ always.

In these moments, the pettiness between them was the least of their worries.

"So… What do we do now?" asked Patrick, still acting rather calm.

The volcano then released another massive burst of lava; bigger than the previous ones just moments before.

"RUN LIKE HECK!" Sandy shouted.

That was their cue to flee. They took off; leaving all their personal belongings at the campsite. The sound of their screams could be heard for miles as they ran for their lives; their limited, precious, Neptune-given lives.

The lava rushed out onto the landscape, coming up not far behind them.

Sandy turned around to see the flaming hot liquid getting closer. She panted, "Run… Faster!"

Mr. Krabs realized he had forgotten something very dear to him back at the campsite. "ME MONEY! I FORGOT ME MONEY!" he gasped. "Is it too late to turn back?!" he shouted.

"OF COURSE, it's too late, you penny-pinching cheapskate! We're on the verge of dying, AND ALL YOU CAN THINK OF IS MONEY?!" Squidward was absolutely furious and terrified.

"Squidward's right, Mr. Krabs! Well, except for the 'penny pinching' part. We need to get away from this-WHOA!" SpongeBob's feet skidded, stopping them all dead in their tracks when they discovered lava approaching from another direction.

"This way!" said Sandy, running off to the left.

"I CAN'T SEE!" screamed Plankton. They had entered into a thick patch of kelp; rendering their eyesight useless because of how dark it had become.

Karen activated her flashlight above her eyes, allowing them to see. "Thank you, honeybunch," Plankton said lovingly.

"You're welcome, snookums," she replied. "AHHHH!" they then continued on with their screaming.

Minutes later, they reached a cliff edge of a mountain. At the bottom was a powerful, flowing waterfall and long river. They all looked behind them, becoming aware of just how fast approaching that lava was.

They had two options: get burned alive, or jump. There were no other shortcuts.

SpongeBob and Sandy glanced at each other, sharing a look of both fear and loyalty. They grabbed each other's hands and jumped.

"CANNONBALL!" shouted Patrick.

"Well, here goes nothin' I suppose. Come on, darlin'," said Mr. Krabs, taking Pearl by the hand and jumping.

The rest of them took their lives into their hands and jumped, all landing in the forceful river. The group floated quickly to a new landscape, temporarily escaping the lava.

Patrick floated on his back towards the land. SpongeBob looked over and noticed. "Patrick, I thought you couldn't swim?"

"I can't," Patrick shouted back.

As the rest crawled up onto land, they noticed someone was missing. "Oh, no, where's Squidward?!" SpongeBob asked, worried sick for his neighbor as his eyes darted in all directions.

Soon enough, everyone was calling out the octopus's name. Until suddenly, they caught the source of what was keeping Patrick afloat.

There came the grumpy cephalopod, rising up out of the water, carrying Patrick and holding him above his head.

"Squidward!" SpongeBob shouted enthusiastically, running over to him.

Squidward struggled to carry the big pink tub of lard over his head. He grunted and gritted his teeth as his legs wobbled.

"Squidward, I'm so glad you're safe!" said SpongeBob.

"Me… Too… Whoa-WHOA!" a loud crack was heard, presumably Squidward's back. He dropped the starfish and collapsed onto the ground.

Patrick stood up and dusted himself off as if nothing had happened. "Thanks, Squidward." He walked off casually.

"You're welcome…" Squidward's voice was weak, and his body crumpled.

As the group was joined together again, they continued to run in fear of the lava reaching them. After a few minutes, they reached a large cave.

The cave was made of beige-colored stone. It was deep, dark, and damp. Everyone headed far enough into it, but still stayed close to the outside.

They all looked at each other apologetically. How did a boring day at the Krusty Krab lead to something like this? Only Neptune knew.

At this point, each person felt guilt creeping up on them for the terrible way they had acted towards each other. They had all known each other for so long; they should've all had each other's backs in a situation like this. And well… It seems that, even if they didn't want to admit it to each other, they really did have each other's backs.

SpongeBob stood there, holding Gary underneath his arm. "So… How's the weather?" he asked. Everybody stared at him, giving him a 'this is not the time' sort of look.

"Forget I asked that." He looked down at his shoes.

The cave was silent for a few moments. "Are we just gonna stand here and pretend we're **not** soon going to become lava morsels?" asked Plankton, who stood on his wife's shoulder.

Sandy sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, you guys. This whole thing is my fault. I shouldn't have suggested y'all come with me… I should've known y'all wouldn't be gettin' along, especially Mr. Krabs and Plankton." She shook her head, ashamed of her 'brilliant' ideas.

Mr. Krabs and Plankton looked at each other, a gleam of sadness filling both of their eyes. "Aw, I didn't mean any of the things I said to the little rascal. Heh, heh. After all, that's all he is; a **little** rascal." He smiled warmly at the evil genius, who returned the rare look to him. They didn't look at each other so lovingly all that often, so this was a surprise.

"A-and I certainly didn't mean what I said either, you know, about your failing business. I mean, sure, it probably **is** failing, but- "

"Sheldon…" Karen interrupted, warning him not to go any further.

Plankton understood her warning. He then looked lovingly at her. "And I'm sorry to you, honeybunch. I didn't mean to be so demanding and cruel towards you."

Karen shrugged. "It's not that big a deal; I'm used to it. But I'm sorry I blackened ya to a crisp, honeysuckle." They looked into each other's eyes; gleaming and filling with moisture from their emotion. Well, Karen's was more of a _digital_ kind of moisture.

"And I'm sorry for being so annoying to you guys. I'd rather hang out with all of you than be at some boring shopping mall," said Pearl, her voice soft as she rubbed her flipper.

"Ye really mean that sweet pea?" her father asked, his eyes sparkling with hope.

"No. But at least I said it."

"I can't believe I'm saying this…" Squidward began with a sigh, stepping forward. "I'm sorry for losing my temper with all of you. Well, all of you except SpongeBob." He looked down, seeing SpongeBob's little face of disappointment.

He felt his hardened heart soften a little upon looking at that face. "Oh, alright. I'm sorry, Sponge- "

"It's okay, Squidward," SpongeBob spoke tearfully as he latched onto Squidward's side.

"Aw, I love hugs!" Patrick wrapped his arms around both of them in a bear hug. Squidward struggled to breathe.

"Okay, Patrick. You're crushing my windpipe." His voice was barely audible.

"Oh, sorry." Patrick let go.

Sandy's heart was overwhelmed with surprise and joy at all the love that was being shared. "I'm happy y'all have found some peace with each other. I'm still sorry for suggestin' we come out here together… Sometimes I just ain't that smart."

Her words stung SpongeBob like lemon juice on an open cut. He stood in front of her, looking her straight in the eye. "That isn't true, Sandra. You're smarter than anyone in the whole sea. And your kindness shows through. And so does your beauty; I just love the way that you light up at the thought of anything dangerous. And your touch brings warmth to my heart, as well as your graceful way of- "

"Sheesh, I didn't sign up for a poetry fest," said Squidward, scoffing and crossing his arms over his chest.

SpongeBob realized he had said a wee bit too much and blushed. Sandy chuckled and placed her hand on the side of his face.

"Thank you, SpongeBob. You're sweet. If I could breathe water, I'd kiss ya." She then realized she had said that out loud and blushed a deep shade of pink. Her words shocked the sponge into almost fainting.

"Meow (Hmm… Is it the 'lovestruck squirrely blues' now?)" asked Gary.

Patrick looked confused again. "Pft, Gary, you make no sense. Sandy's not blue! Neither is SpongeBob!" everybody rolled their eyes at his cluelessness. Ah, good ol' Patrick.

"Group hug!" said SpongeBob. With that, everyone gathered together to share their love and respect for each other in the form of one, big, loving embrace.

"I love you guys," said Pearl.

"Me too, I love all of you," said Patrick.

"I love you all even more than me money!" Mr. Krabs said, surprising everyone.

"I'm still going to annihilate you all when this is over," a tearful voice said.

Everyone looked up at Plankton, who now sat on top of Karen's head.

"…Too soon?" he asked.

Just then, the group's rare moment was shattered when Sandy caught sight of lava pouring over and heading towards them.

She gasped with all her breath. "Oh, no!" she said, pointing at the catastrophe headed their way. Everybody screamed in unison and held onto each other as the lava quickly approached.

"Well, I guess this is it…" said SpongeBob, his voice filled with grief.

There it was. So menacing, so hot, so haunting. There was nowhere else to run. This was it. This was the end. At least they were all there at the same time. They were all going to die, but at least they would die together.

Suddenly, as a result of some sort of miracle, a bright light shone above them. They looked up at the sky to see… A UFO? No, a giant flying clam? No, it was a rescue helicopter! How they had found the group in the first place, nobody knew.

"Hey, you down there! Remain calm and grab onto this ladder, we'll pull you up!" the fish man spoke through a megaphone.

It truly was a miracle! They all grabbed onto the ladder one by one and held on for dear life as the man pulled them quickly to safety; leaving the scorching lava in the dust.

Minutes later, they were all on their way back home. Mr. Krabs sighed. "Ain't it a shame I had to leave me boat there? It was so expensive! I can never replace it!" he buried his face in his claws.

Pearl rolled her eyes. "Daddy, what are you talking about? You found that boat in a junkyard, remember?"

Mr. Krabs wept. "I know, b-but I had to buy a new engine to make it run! WAAAHHH!" he cried.

SpongeBob patted him on the knee. "Don't worry, Mr. Krabs. You can borrow my boat! That is when I get my license… And I get enough money to buy a boat… And I don't **crash** the boat…"

All this talk was shattering Mr. Krabs' sanity - and wallet, even more. "WAAHHH!" he cried again.

Squidward sighed, leaning his face against his tentacle. "I can't believe that this is what not going to college brings you in life."

* * *

**A/N: And here we are! I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. And as a side note, don't worry, I am working on the next chapter for Flowery Poems at the moment. Thanks for reading and I'll be back again soon.**


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